


parallels

by badbadnotgood



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:01:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23824255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badbadnotgood/pseuds/badbadnotgood
Summary: Mikasa notices a pattern she wasn't even looking for.
Relationships: Levi/Erwin Smith
Comments: 8
Kudos: 118





	parallels

Mikasa runs a few more laps after training to shake off the anger. Not as satisfying as breaking Annie’s nose, but it helps.

“Mikasa Ackermann!”

She wipes the sweat from her brow, squints in the direction of the sound of her name and sees Hange Zoe’s messy ponytail coming into view.

“You’re to come with me to the Commander’s office. It’s nothing bad, so don’t worry.”

“I wasn’t,” Mikasa says plainly.

Hange Zoe blinks at her. “Okay, well, come along.”

She doesn’t know what to expect, maybe Annie opened her mouth and Mikasa’s going to get a slap on the wrist. It doesn’t matter, she’s not here to make friends, and she’s not here to be talked to like shit. Her expression doesn’t waver as Hanji leads down the stone hallways, nor does it waver when she enters the Commander’s office.

“Mikasa Ackermann,” Erwin Smith says, warmly.

He sits at his desk, buried in paperwork. Captain Levi is here, too, sitting on the edge of the desk at Erwin’s side, his back to her, cup of tea in hand.

“Commander,” she says.

“As you know, chief instructor Keith Shadis had been keenly observing our trainees and noting the strengths, weaknesses and the progress of each individual. Levi and I have also been attending a handful of your training sessions to gauge your progress.”

“Sir,” Mikasa nods.

“Mikasa,” Erwin says, “you have an extraordinary talent. It is unprecedented for recruits to exhibit such skill, especially this early on.”

Mikasa swallows. She didn’t know what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t this. She got used to the maneuvering equipment relatively fast, but she works hard to keep up her strength in order to do so.

“Thank you, sir,” she says.

Erwin smiles. “Shadis tells me you have mastered every gruelling task he has thrown at you thus far perfectly. You remind me of Levi here.”

Levi scoffs. “Is it the surname?”

“You’re related somewhere down the line. The skill probably runs in the family.”

Levi makes a _tch_ sound and tells Erwin not to think to hard about it, and Erwin laughs.

Mikasa feels like she’s intruding on something private, oddly enough.

“Sir,” she says, “will you be giving me a separate task?”

“Oh, no, I just wanted to acknowledge your progress and tell you to keep up the good work. I can see you as a valuable member of the Survey Corps.”

She salutes the Commander. “Of course, sir.”

Just as she’s about to leave, Levi tells her, “And tell your special friend to stop breaking his equipment. We don’t have the funding to replace that shit.”

“Roger,” she says, and closes the door softly.

*

Mikasa sees, not for the first time, the concern on Levi’s face when Erwin is injured outside the walls. At some point during the expedition, Erwin’s horse had tripped over a titan’s foot and Erwin had been launched face first into the ground. He’d sat up immediately, knees in the dirt, sporting a face full of blood.

Levi had sliced at the ankles of the titan viciously, eyes burning with rage as the titan collapsed to its knees. He carved a chunk of its nape away and watched the flesh hit the ground with the titan, killing it. He was at Erwin’s side immediately, ordering the soldiers to retreat and return as he wiped at Erwin’s face with his cloak.

Mikasa retreated with her horse, thinking about Levi’s aversion to dirt.

*

The Commander spends more time in his headquarters after losing his right arm, with Hanji and Levi delivering the orders. When the soldiers do see him, he has Levi at his side, the two of them dressed smartly. Mikasa tries not to stare at the hollow right sleeve of Erwin’s shirt, where flesh and bone should be.

When they dismiss themselves, Mikasa watches Levi open the door for Erwin.

*

Mikasa can’t sleep. Whenever she tries, she sees the flesh and bone of the Colossal Titan, sees the weight of it fall and crush Eren. She sees the Armoured Titan, a spot in the distance, taking Eren away. She can’t sleep, so she trains. She stretches, runs until she’s gasping for air, and does push-ups until her body burns. It’s nice to be outside, though, to be able to see the moon and the stars. There’s always so many stars.

“This is hardly a normal activity at this time, even by your standards.”

Levi is walking towards her, still in his dress clothes, with a cup of tea in hand. The steam curls in the night air.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Mikasa says.

There’s a pause as Levi sips at his tea. He looks wide awake, like sleep isn’t even crossing his mind.

“I think you know he’s capable of protecting himself until we track them down,” Levi says.

“I know, but it’s my job to protect him and I continue to fail. The world keeps taking him away from me.” She blinks back tears that sting her eyes. “The one person…”

“You need to stop acting on instinct,” Levi tells her. “It’ll get you killed.”

She scoffs, gives Levi a look. “You understand,” she says. “You’re so defensive because you understand what it’s like to risk your life for the well-being of someone you love.”

Levi says nothing, so she continues.

“He clouds your judgement,” Mikasa says. She looks away from him, knowing she's overstepped a line. “You forget the risks for him.”

“Mikasa,” he warns.

“I understand, Captain. It’s why I’m here, in the Survey Corps. I never wanted to fight, but Eren did, and I’ll follow him wherever he goes. You should understand that not you or anyone else can stop me from protecting him with my life.”

There’s a heavy pause before Levi speaks again.

“We leave early tomorrow,” he says. “I would at least try and sleep.”

Mikasa stands in the grass as he leaves, shivering from the sweat that’s cooled on her skin.


End file.
